Chevron Refinery Fire Sparks Chemical Safety Board Probe

Law360, New York (August 13, 2012, 5:37 PM EDT) -- The U.S. Chemical Safety Board announced Saturday it would pursue a full investigation into a fire last week at a Chevron Corp. oil refinery in Richmond, Calif., an incident that has already prompted thousands of claims against the company by local residents.

The Aug. 6 fire began when a leak of a hydrocarbon liquid — known as “gas-oil” — from a pipe at the plant suddenly intensified while workers were attempting to repair it, forming a large vapor cloud that engulfed a large number of workers...